Has a unparalleled selection of bottled beers - some really obscure stuff. Strong English beers from various vintages. On Embassy row, a bit of a walk from the Metro, but not bad. A mecca. Food was only so-so for me. Funky little brick basement kind of ambiance.

Capitol City Brewing Co.
1100 New York Ave., NW
Washington, Washington DC 20005
Phone: (202) 628-2222
There is another location on Mass Ave - I like this one much better. It is in the same building as the Smithsonian Postal Museum in the old Post Office next to Union Station. (This is not the Old Post Office Pavilion, which is a spectacular place in another part of town, but I digress). Modern, medium scale brewpub. Credible beers. Big menu. Cool place. Easy to get to. No reason not to go.

District Chophouse & Brewery/ Rock Bottom Restaurants, Inc.
509 7th Street NW
Washington, Washington DC
I see that this place has been purchased by Rock Bottom. Pity. When I was there a couple years ago, it was still independent. Spectacular meats - Ruth's Chris quality (and pricing). And some of the most memorable beers I've ever had, including an imperial stout aged in oak that absolutely reeked of vanilla. Sublime. I'd call first. Near the basketball arena.

John Harvard's Brew House
1299 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, Washington DC 20004
Phone: (202) 783-2739
In the basement of the Warner Theatre. REALLY good place. Good food. Outrageously good beer, including something on cask usually. Very highly recommended. Easy walk from the Metro (sorry, can't remember the line/stop) and from the Mall.

While it's not a brewery, you can get incredible food and a fine selection of wonderful beers at the Old Ebbitt Grill, a DC institution with great art, dark wood, and a private club feel. Busy, but worth it. Not far from the White House.

Yea, I miss some things about California, least of all the smog, but I did try a new one the other day, it was a berry and wheat flavored beer. A little strong but pretty tasty, I wouldn't drink it everyday, but it was a nice change of pace beer. I wanted to get more Sierra Nevada, but my g/f wanted to try this instead.

I'm judging homebrew at the Western Washington Fair later this month. It's my only "professional" beer judging gig. Should be fun, as always. Sometimes, you get really memorable beers at these competitions. Like the year I was judging the Fruit/Herb category and had the, um, honor of evaluating what I can only assess as the definitive Beet Beer. Incredible color, and it really expressed the ingredients. But I really don't care for beets much...

I've got a few quarts of 5 year-old Scottish Ale/syrupy shiite left. I'm sure you would find it memorable. I remember what it tastes like, that's why I use it to marinate wood chips for my BBQ.
Everytime I crack one open, though, I give it another try - just in case it smoothed out. Nope, same old shiite every time.

no, no. take a can of beer, and completely open the top. drink 1/2 of the contents. after cleaning a chicken and removing the neck etc, stuff the can up it's butt. (that's why it's also called Beer Butt Chicken). remove the warming rack (s) from your grill. place the chicken upright on a cooking grid. turn grill on on the opposite side of the grill the chicken is on. you are using indirect heat. close the lid, temp about 350 degrees. cook about 20 min per pound. for the last 5 minutes, turn on low heat under chicken. be sure to watch the bird so it doesn't get toasted. then enjoy.
ps. maybe not allowed here, but we also sell gas grill parts.
pss. cleaning tip: to clean your grill, take a piece of tin foil. place it shiny side down on the cooking grids, and light grill on high. close lid, and wait. when you feel the fire dept is about to pull up, it's done. brush off residue.
dan